It's just friendship
by Amphy
Summary: Yoshino's view on matters. Thanks to her, the Yamayurikai are going on a trip. It's all part of Yoshino's plan to make sure the dense Yumi notices Sachiko like Sachiko is noticing her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria-sama ga miteru. I don't even know Japanese. **

**It's just friendship**

**Chapter I**

Sachiko looked up, surprised.

"A bingo night?"

Her petite soeur nodded.

"A benefit evening is being hold at the local church. Well, my parents can't come, but they would feel bad is none of us were coming, so they asked me to go instead of them. They said I should bring you…" The rest was no more than a murmur coming out of Yumi's mouth.

"Yumi. I did not hear that last part, could you please say it again?" Sachiko watched as Yumi turned a vague shade of red, but then the younger girl looked at her with her bright brown eyes.

"They said I should bring you with me, so you'd get to know more of us. I mean, know more of the stuff we do other than school and work… More of our daily lives, I guess." At that moment, Rei and Yoshino walked into the room, laughing. Rei plumped herself down next to the brown-haired, pigtails-wearing girl, paying little attention to the situation. But Yoshino looked at Sachiko's face, wondering what had happened before she and her cousin entered the room. Sachiko looked a bit flustered, her cheeks being a little red.

_Hmmm, what has happened here? Sachiko-sama is looking all red and stuff, and Yumi is casting her eyes down. God, what has she done now? And why is that girl casting her eyes down? She won't notice the hungry look her onee-sama is giving her that way! Yumi, look up for Christ's sake! Look at your onee-sama! She's watching you as if she hasn't eaten for 2 weeks and you're some sort of delicious snack, waiting to be ravished by her!_

As Yoshino was trying to get Yumi to look at Sachiko, purely by using her mind, the latter stood up, walked around the table to Yumi and put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders. "I'm so honoured, Yumi. I'd love to come with you."

--

"A bingo night? That's great!" Yoshino was overexcited about the news. She was practically jumping up and down. Yumi looked at her like she was some sort of giant octopus tap-dancing on a bar table.

"We're just going to a bingo night, Yoshino-san. It's not like we're on a date…" Yumi looked a bit sad. "It's not like we are going to be the only ones there. It's a public event."

"Aren't you excited, then?" Yoshino looked at her friend expectantly.

"Of course I am! We're finally doing something with just the two of us again! But… I don't know… It's weird, _you_ seem to be more excited than me, now!" Yoshino was wearing a mischievous grin now, and her eyes were small and glowing.

_Of course I am excited. Who knows what'll happen to you and Sachiko-sama that evening? Even though you won't be alone, you won't be _not_ alone all the time. And I sincerely hope that something nice will happen to you then, Yumi. But then again… You are so dense that you might ruin everything, even if the mood is right._

Yoshino merely shrugged her shoulders. "So, is there something nice to win at the bingo night?" she asked.

"Yes," Yumi answered excited. "It's really fantastic. First prize is a 2-nights-3-days trip to Kobe for 4 persons. My grandmother donated that prize to the church. She had won it at some quiz, but she can't use that coupon to go on the trip, since she had already booked her own vacation to Okinawa. She wanted to give it to us, but my mother thought it would be better if she just gave it to the church, so they could use if for their bingo night. With such a nice first prize, I think a lot more people will show up."

"What? Such a nice trip? You should have kept it for yourself, Yumi-san!" Yoshino was looking a bit disappointed, and seemed to be in deep thoughts.

_Man, if her grandmother had just given the coupon to Yumi, that would've been an awesome occasion for… her relationship with her onee-sama to develop a bit more… But she'll be needing some help! God knows what would happen if she went together with Sachiko-sama… More likely, what would _**not**_ happen between those two if they were to go on such a trip alone. I think Sachiko-sama is way too shy to tell Yumi her real feelings, which I'm quite sure are more than those of "friendship". I mean, if you notice the look she has been giving Yumi lately… It surprises me she hasn't jumped her petite soeur yet. ... That's it! They'll be needing my help! I need to win that trip, so I can invite her and Sachiko-sama to come with me!_

Yumi was staring at Yoshino with a puzzled look. "Eh..? Yoshin-sa.."

"Alright! I got it!" Yumi was surprised by the sudden change of mood of her friend. "I'm going to go too!"

"Yoshino-san, where to?"

"The bingo night, of course!"

"Eh??"

--

"I can't believe you actually won first prize, Yoshino-san!" The black-haired girl was grinning broadly.

_I'm sorry to have disturbed your little date with Sachiko-sama, Yumi, but I'll make up to you by making sure this will be one trip you'll never ever forget!_

"Me neither. Hey, I have a brilliant idea. I know it's only for 4 persons, but I really want Shimako-san and Noriko-chan to be coming with us too."

_If Yumi sees how far their relationship has developed, maybe she'll think about her soeur-relationship a bit deeper too…_

"So, my idea is, what if the six of us – you, me, Rei-chan, Sachiko-sama, Shimako-san and Noriko-chan – paid for another two-person bedroom, so we could go with the six of us? It's a bit unfair if only those two had to pay for their lodgings. I originally wanted to take you and Sachiko-sama with me and Rei-chan,

_but then I realized I can't do this by myself, I need everybody's help_

but then I thought it would be much more fun if we all could go together. And besides, if the six of us pay for one room, it won't be that expensive, right?"

"That's a really brilliant idea, Yoshino-san!" Yumi exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure everybody is going to be so excited about it! It's a really nice occasion for us to relax a bit after spending so much time and energy into setting up the school festival. I'm going to tell onee-sama, okay? Good day!"

And with that Yumi ran off, leaving Yoshino behind near the gingko-nuts tree. The girl was smiling a really big smile now. Everything was going according to plan.

--

**A/N: My first fanfic… Ever. I hope it wasn't too bad. I also hope people reading this story, will take the time to review … As it would seem useless if I kept continuing this story, not knowing if people actually read it. So please, if you want me to continue the story, say so! ... And yes, I know my story is not very original so far, but it'll become more interesting.**


	2. Chapter 2

Note 1: The tone of this chapter is considerably different than that of the first one. I needed Yoshino's relationship with Rei to develop more, and I wanted to show Yoshino's serious side. I will revert back to the light tone of the first chapter after this one. This will_ not_ turn into a angsty drama fic.

Note 2: I'd like to express my gratitude to all the reviewers, really, thank you so very much. It's thanks to you that I'll keep updating the story!

--

Disclaimer: I don't own Maria sama ga miteru.

**Chapter II**

They would all go on a nice trip together in a few weeks. Yoshino was delighted that everyone could go; on a warm fall evening she found herself setting up a plan to get Yumi to notice Sachiko's feelings towards her… But found out she had no clue what to do.

_It's just so frustrating! Yumi is so unpredictable, and Sachiko-sama would kill me if she found out I'm butting in in their relationship! O dear Lord, what ever am I to do? … And what am I to do with Rei..? It's easy talking, saying Yumi and Sachiko-sama should get together, but I myself do not have that kind of relationship with Rei. So who am I, trying to manipulate things if I can't even tell Rei my own feelings._

As if the devil had wanted it this way, Yoshino's mother called: "Yoshino, Rei-chan is here to visit you! I'll send her to your room!" Moments later, the tall, short-haired girl entered Yoshino's room. She greeted her cousin and sat down on the ground, next to her. Yoshino looked at her beautiful cousin and her heart sighed. Why did she have to fall in love with her cousin? She was family! She could_ not_ fall in love with family… But already had. And there was nothing else she could do about it. She could not stop loving someone just like that.

Although Yoshino did not show her feelings on her face like Yumi did, she was one to carry her heart on her tongue. Ironically, this was the only matter she really wanted her friends – especially Rei – to know, but could not tell. But how long could the poor girl hold out? Although Yoshino liked unfeminine things, she was also very emotional and passionate. That's why she easily spoke her mind and heart. She just hoped she wouldn't blurt out her feelings all of a sudden.

"So, what has been going on, Yoshino?" Rei came straight to the point. "And don't play dumb with me. I know you, there's something going on. Your face, it looks a bit different."

_My face looks a bit different? What on earth is she talking about? I'm not Yumi!_

Yoshino laughed. "How can my face look different now! Does it look like a dog's now? Or maybe like the prime minister's? Honestly,_ Rei-chan_, there is nothing going on."

_I'll tell you about my plan later, when I have worked it out some more. _

Yoshino's eyes grew big as she felt her cousin creeping closer to her. Then the older girl grasped her hand with both of her own hands.

"Yoshino. Like I said, don't play dumb with me. I hope you know who you're talking to. Have you ever succeeded in keeping something a secret from me?"

_More than you know, Rei. And if you had the same feelings, I'm pretty certain you would've noticed how I feel for you. But you haven't, so it's impossible that you have those feelings for me. It's no more than natural, since you're my cousin. _

Yoshino shuddered. Not because it was cold -- she felt Rei's warm hands -- but because the thought was bitter. _Yes, you are my cousin. I cannot have you. But why am I thinking of this now, when Rei is here with me?_

"Yoshino..!" Rei gasped as she saw tears welling up in her petite soeur's eyes. Why was she crying? Why was her cousin, who was such a strong person, crying in front of her?

_I can't help the tears from coming up. What's wrong with me? I managed to hold out until now. So why are the tears coming?_

Rei needed to do something. The only thing that came into her mind, was hugging her sweet Yoshino, which she did. She soothed her, but still had no idea what was wrong. So Rei pulled away and held the dark-haired girl by the shoulders, looking directly into her big eyes.

"Please, Yoshino, tell me what's going on. You have been acting differently towards me for quite some time now!"

… _Quite some time? But I only told you about the trip a few days ago… How can I have been acting strangely towards you for quite some time? I do not understa…_

Then realisation hit Yoshino.

_Have I been acting differently towards Rei, without me even noticing? When did I actually find out I was in love with her? Well, I've always known I loved her, but when did I really realise that I also wanted her sexually? Maybe a couple of weeks ago… And then Rei must've immediately noticed I was acting a bit weird. I hadn't even noticed. She sees right through me. She sees what I don't even see._

"Don't you know then, Rei-chan?" Yoshino's face was really close to her onee-sama's now. Her teary eyes were looking directly into her cousin's. "If you can see that I don't act like I normally do, when even I myself haven't noticed it, how can you not know the reason then?" Yoshino's eyes were pleading, begging for Rei to see the reason without herself telling her.

Rei _had_ come up with one reason during those weeks, but it could not possibly be true. It was just too absurd. But how she wanted that reason to be true. She had wanted it for such a long time now. And now Yoshino's face was really, really close to hers. She could hear her breathing faintly, she could feel her warm breath, she could smell the scent she knew belonged to her cousin… And then she pushed her away, scrambled onto her feet and looked down at the younger girl, seeing the hurt look in her eyes.

"Yes, Yoshino, I can think of a reason. But it's too ridiculous. It's…"

"But tell me, Rei-chan! I want to know!"

_Could it be..? Rei is hesitating to tell me what it is; she is blushing, which I'm sure she's unaware of herself. She's acting not like herself now. Please, Rei, tell me you know. Tell me you've known, and tell me you did not mind. _

Rei could not stand it anymore. Her heart was pounding in her chest; she wanted to know the truth, even if it might hurt her. She clenched her fists, then without looking at her cousin's face, blurted out: "Are you in love with me, Yoshino?" She had almost screamed it. Thank God she hadn't; she didn't know how she could explain herself to her aunt and uncle if they had heard her. All of a sudden, Yoshino was up on her feet and looking at the tall girl's face with a soft expression.

_You knew it. You knew it and were not disgusted by me. _

"Do you mind, Rei-chan? That I'm in love with you?" she whispered.

Rei was mesmerized by her cousin's eyes. They were so big and expressive, and beautiful. The older girl was blushing furiously, and by now she had noticed it herself. Her cheeks were very, very warm.

"Why would I mind?" Rei breathed softly.

"Because I'm your cousin…" Yoshino finally managed to speak out her fear. Could they be together, even if they were family?

Rei understood now. Why Yoshino had been acting the way she did for the past few weeks. Why Yoshino hadn't spoken her mind to her, like she always did. She had been afraid of being rejected, just because they were family. _I could never turn my back to you, Yoshino_._ I could never stop loving you._

"Of course I do not mind…" Her voice was no more than the slightest whisper. "It doesn't matter if you're my cousin, what matters is the love you're feeling. Yoshino, really, _it does not matter_. I'm so glad you're in love with me, because I'm in love with you as well."

Before Rei could even begin to notice Yoshino's movements, the latter had closed the space between their faces and was now kissing Rei.

_You were in love with me all along. I love you so much, Rei. _

Rei slid one hand behind Yoshino's waist and the other one got tangled up in her cousin's hair. She drew the younger girl closer, passionately kissing her, tasting her tongue, which earned her a soft "Mmmm" from the girl. "How I have longed to do this…" Yoshino whispered, before once again exploring Rei's mouth. For a while, only soft moans and kissing sounds were heard in the room as the two were furiously attacking each other's lips, their hands roaming everywhere. After what seemed like an eternity in heaven, they pulled away, panting heavily. Yoshino was smiling happily, as was Rei. She was cupping the younger girl's cheeks, on which the latter closed her eyes.

"Hey Rei-chan… I love you so much."

Rei looked at the other girl with an expression of pure love. It said enough.

_I'm so happy, I can't even find the words to express this feeling of happiness. Hmmm, I guess I should tell her about my plan now to get Sachiko-sama and Yumi together…_

"Hey, Rei-chan…"

Yoshino was grinning mischievously.

--

**A/N:For those who think Yoshino's thoughts seem like those of a totally different person than in chapter I, I can only say: it's also a totally different situation. Well, let's go back to evil plotting Yoshino in chapter III, shall we. :)**

**I will update again this weekend, as another week of school has started.**

**Give me your thoughts about this chapter in the form of a reply! Negative or positive, every review adds another boost to my motivation.**


	3. Chapter 3

Note: Thank you for the reviews! To the anonymous D: Hmmm, well, I thought the fact that they were cousins was weirder than the fact that they were girls. And it's not because this is a MariMite-fic. :)

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria sama ga miteru.**

**Chapter III**

"So that's the real reason why we're all going on a trip together?" Shimako giggled. She was not the type of person to giggle, so Yoshino stared at her, surprised.

"What's so funny, Shimako-san?"

"It's funny how I thought the exact same thing. Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama do belong together." Yoshino eyed her friend, then noted: "Like you and Noriko-chan belong to each other now, huh." That remark left Shimako dumbfounded.

_I knew it. I knew it all along. It was not like you were hiding it very successfully, Shimako, with all the blushes and the nervou__sness and the way you and Noriko-chan always seem to be out of breath every time we enter the meeting room._

"Wha… What are you talking about, Yoshi –"

"Oh come on, Shimako-san," Yoshino cut in. She stared at her friend intensively. Finally, the Rose sighed. "How did you find out?" Shimako asked softly.

_Heh. Like it was hard not to notice. I think even Yumi must've noticed it by now.__ And if she hasn't, she will__ notice it during the trip. Like those two can keep their hands off of each other the whole time._

"Oh, you know. Because I'm your friend and all that. You really can't hide anything from me."

"Oh my, it seems I can't."

A silence fell between the two second-years. Then Yoshino spoke again.

"Rei-chan and I are together too."

_Rei was right, it really doesn't matter if we're cousins. The only thing that matters is that we love each other. _

Shimako looked a bit confused. "Together? Aren't you always toge… Oh!" A huge smile crossed Shimako's face now. "I'm so happy for you, Yoshino-san! Indeed, you are made for each other. Just like Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama!" She paused, glanced at Yoshino, then said with a great blush on her face: "Just like Noriko and me." Then the two girls burst out in very uncharacteristic giggling.

"Are you going to tell Yumi-san?" Shimako asked after they had finally composed themselves.

"Hmm." Yoshino was wearing a rather devilish grin. "Perhaps later."

--

A few days before they would all go on vacation, Sachiko was sitting in the Rose Mansion, looking at some papers she had to fill in for school. Her mind was not really into it however, as she was thinking of the upcoming trip. She would be going away with everybody else and was really excited about it, although you couldn't see it when you looked at her. She was her calm and reserved self. But the _real_ reason why Sachiko was excited, was because her adorable petite soeur Yumi Fukuzawa would be going too _and_ they would be sharing a room together. Sachiko was delighted with the thought, but also a bit nervous and even a little bit afraid. What if she could not control herself anymore? What if she would do something to her petite soeur, just because she could not control her own lust? Until now she had managed to act pretty normal in front of the young girl, but it took a great deal of strength for her not to grab Yumi and kiss her gorgeous face, taste her delicious mouth, feel her cute little breasts… Wait, that was one step too far.

Sachiko sighed loudly (which she would have never done if there had been anyone else in the room) and forced her mind to concentrate upon her task. A few moments later, the object of her never-ending desire walked into the room, talking to Yoshino. The rest of the Yamayurikai followed a few steps behind.

"My, what are you all doing here?" Sachiko asked. "There was no meeting planned for today, if I'm not mistaking? Yumi?" She looked at her soeur questioningly.

"You're right, onee-sama," Yumi answered, "but we're here to go over the last things for the trip. We thought we might find you here, since none of us saw you walking past the Maria-statue."

"Yes, I came here because I had to fill in these," Sachiko pointed at the small stack of papers, "for the school."

"Oh!" Yumi said in shock. "I hope we didn't disturb you? If I had known you had something important to do for school, we could've discussed the trip some other time!"

"Yumi. You haven't disturbed me. You never disturb me, so as you know. Now sit down and let's discuss the last matters for our trip."

Yumi sat down opposite of Sachiko with a "Yes, onee-sama," and a nice colour on her face. Sachiko said she never disturbed her!

_My__, my, Yumi, you really need to pull yourself together, if you even blush at those words. Gosh, you're so slow. Look at the person opposite of you! I bet she wants to jump you right now. She's staring at you and her eyes are all glazed… Why can't you see what's there, only for you? Ah, whatever! Because when we're on this trip, Yumi, everything is going to change!_

"Alright!" began Yoshino. "Let's go over through the last things, shall we?"

--

Shimako, Noriko, Yoshino and Rei were already waiting with their luggage when Sachiko and Yumi arrived. It was still early in the morning. They would travel by train and then walk the last part to the hotel. Luckily, it wasn't very far from the station, but it was still located in a quiet environment.

After they had dropped their luggage in the special compartment, the six girls walked to the front of the train and sat themselves there. Of course, each Rose sat next to their respective soeur. As the train was set into motion, all of them were pretty much too exhausted to talk a lot or play games. It was really, really early in the morning. Yumi yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had been so excited last night, she had barely gotten any sleep! Not only was she going on a trip with her onee-sama, they would be sharing a bedroom too!

"Are you tired, Yumi? You can lean on my shoulder if you want. Here, go ahead." Sachiko offered a shoulder to the other girl.

"Thank you, onee-sama. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep last night, I was just so happy to go on vacation with you!" The younger girl snuggled against Sachiko's shoulder. _She is so very warm_, Yumi thought. _And she smells so nice…_ Unconsciously, she grabbed her onee-sama's hand. She was at perfect ease and quickly fell asleep.

Sachiko, however, was _not_ at perfect ease. Her petite soeur was cuddled against her shoulder, and she felt her warm hand holding her own. It was not like Sachiko was uncomfortable, quite the contrary; but she wondered if Yumi could not feel the warmth radiating from her body, as she was positively feeling hot now! _I wonder what I have done to deserve such a beautiful girl_. And with that thought, Sachiko leaned her head on Yumi's and fell asleep herself.

"Really, they would make such a cute couple," said Yoshino, as she turned her head back after watching the two girls fall asleep. "Don't you think so, Rei-chan?"

"Yes, yes, Yoshino, like I already said, they look adorable together. But I don't know… Should we really interfere in their relationship?" Rei looked a bit unsure. "I don't think Sachiko would appreciate it if she found out what we have in store for her and Yumi –"

"Oh no, you're not backing off now!"

_Now that I finally __have made up the perfect plan! Really, it's flawless! I'm so go-od._

"Rei-chan, please. I just want to give them the same happiness we share now." Without asking, Yoshino pulled in her onee-sama for a kiss.

_I bet Shimako and Noriko-chan are doing the same thing now._

Rei felt her cousin smiling. She actually did not want to know what the younger girl was thinking. Instead she just pulled her closer, enjoying the proximity of their bodies.

The train was heading for Kobe.

--

**A/N: The next chapter will be much longer than the previous ones. I've almost finished it, so I'll probably update in a couple of days. **

**Reviews are always welcome. :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

Note: The reason for my incredibly fast update: I couldn't sleep and was in the mood to write, so I managed to finish the next chapter in a record time. It's quite late and I'm really tired now, so I probably won't do this again, lol. Anyway, here's chapter IV. Have fun!**  
**

**--**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria sama ga miteru.****  
**

**Chapter IV**

"Onee-sama, don't you think this hotel is adorable?" Yumi asked. She and Sachiko were standing in the doorway of their hotel room. "Yes, it's very nice," Sachiko answered, but she wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying. Her mind was more interested in the big bed in the middle of the room. Before they went on this journey, Sachiko had mentally noted to herself that the room probably only had one bed, but it still came as a shock to her when she realized she and Yumi would be sleeping in the same bed. _Oh my, I really have to compose myself_, the dark-haired beauty thought. Unconsciously however, she was licking her lips.

"So this is your room?" Yoshino said. She and Rei were standing behind the two others. The girl smiled when she noticed the big bed.

_Let's see if you're safe tonight, Yumi. Sachiko-sama always seems so calm, but you know what they say__: the calm ones are always the animals in bed._

"Our room is across the hall, and Shimako and Noriko-chan's room are next to yours. So it's really easy if we want to play some games during the night," Rei said. "But let's leave the rooms as they are now, and search for a restaurant. I sure would like to eat some Kobe beef."

--

Noriko was holding a small folder in her hand. While the others were in line to order some food, she and Shimako were guarding their table. "Did you know there is an _onsen_ at the hotel?" she said to her lover. "Kobe is pretty famous for its hot springs, so almost every hotel in the district has one." Noriko crept closer to the beauty sitting next to her, and whispered in her ear: "We should go visit it tonight. Just you and me." At hearing these words, Shimako's face turned red but she nodded with a "I'm looking forward to tonight, then".

--

"Ah, that was a really nice meal," Rei sighed contently. "Where are we going now?"

Because they had taken an early train, they had arrived at the hotel some time before 12 o'clock. They had finished their lunch now and still had the entire afternoon to sightsee Kobe. "I thought we had agreed on visiting the Ikuta Shrine first?" Sachiko asked. "Yes, but it seems to be closed this week," Yoshino said. "I asked the receptionist at the hotel, and she said they were working at the Shrine to repair something that had broken off."

_Not really, but I can't have all of us stay together for the whole day. I need to give Yumi and Sachiko-sama some quality time alone.__ But I have to be subtle about it, or Sachiko-sama will notice it. Yumi won't, she's too dense._

"My, that's too bad. What shall we do now then?"

_Now it's your turn, Shimako._

Yoshino had succeeded in working out her plan and sharing it with the rest on a secret meeting, naturally without Yumi and Sachiko being present. She had come to the conclusion that she couldn't do it alone, and even if she did manage to act on her own, she was convinced that Sachiko would've noticed that something was going on.

"Noriko and I wanted to visit some Buddha-temples in the neighbourhood. I know we originally decided to visit the Shrine today and then explore downtown, but since we can't do the first part of our plan, why not take this opportunity to see some interesting Buddha statues? Ah, but of course you don't have to come with us if you don't want to. We really don't mind if you want to visit something else."

_Excellent.__ Sachiko-sama will never suspect Shimako to be plotting something._

"That's really something the two of you would do," Yumi said with a smile. "I guess we don't have to stick together the whole day."

_Hey, wasn't I supposed to say that?_

"But it would be nice if we explored the city together later on, wouldn't it?" Yumi continued. "So what do you want to do, Yoshino-san?"

_Oh whatever, you've only made it easier for me, Yumi._

"Well, I really wanted to visit Mount Maya," the girl answered. "I want to take the walking route to the top, I bet it's awesome! I convinced Rei-chan to come with me of course," she added with a sly grin. Rei nodded with an apologetic look. "But perhaps it's not a really good idea for Sachiko to join us," Rei observed.

_Go, go, Rei!_

The tall girl turned to Sachiko. "It's pretty warm for a fall day, and I heard it's even warmer at the mountain. Perhaps the heat would make you feel dizzy."

"You're right, Rei-sama!" Yumi cried out. "Onee-sama, you might faint and fall of the mountain!"

_I expected a reaction from Yumi like this, but honestly, fall of the mountain?_

"Yumi, you don't have to be so hyper about it. Of course I won't fall of the mountain." Sachiko sounded rather amused. "But Rei is right, the heat would do me no good. I guess I'll just go and visit the Kobe Port tower. I heard the view from up there is fabulous. And at least I won't have to walk to the top." Yumi smiled and said: "Onee-sama, I'll come with you, I want to stay with you."

_Perfect._

A light blush was seen on Sachiko's face but she quickly composed herself and said: "I guess it's settled then. Shall we decide a time now for us to meet again? That way, we can still visit downtown together." After they had agreed on an hour the couples went to their respective destinations.

_I hope you'll enjoy this private moment with Sachiko-sama, Yumi.__ I don't really expect something to happen this soon on our trip, but every minute you spend alone with your onee-sama is an extra minute to realize what she feels for you. And what you feel for her.  
_

--

"Mmmmmm, Noriko, not here, we're in front of the temple," Shimako panted as the other girl was furiously attacking her neck with hungry kisses. "But I've been wanting to do this all day and now we're finally alone," Noriko whispered in a low voice in between her kisses.

Actually, they were far from alone, since they were still in a public place with people walking everywhere, but no-one saw them, as the two were not really standing in front of the entrance; they were more standing behind a tree near it. Shimako managed to make Noriko stop by giving her a kiss, but it didn't actually have the desired effect. The two were clearly enjoying the feeling of their tongues battling for dominance; it was no surprise then that it took a great deal of Shimako's willpower to pull away. She was breathing rather heavily but said: "Not here and not now, but tonight." Her eyes were glistering and full of desire. Noriko was so much looking forward to the evening.

After they had tidened themselves up (during their tongue's battle their hands seemed to have been everywhere) they went to see the Buddha statue. It was a rather big thing, sitting in the middle of a giant hall. Candles were burning everywhere and it was pretty warm in the room. "It's beautiful," Noriko said quietly. She grasped Shimako's hand and smiled at her. "Do you think Rosa Chinensis and Yumi-sama are enjoying themselves the way we are?" she asked the blond girl. "I'm sure they are," Shimako answered. "Even though they are not a couple yet, they do love each other. I think being near one another is enough for them to be happy. You can compare them to us. Only we," she squeezed the younger girl's hand, "know what we feel for each other." Silence fell between them as the two kept staring at the giant Buddha.

--

_Sachiko's POV_

Sachiko and Yumi had taken the bus to the Port tower. They were now standing in front of the high building, hypnotized by it's height. "Will it be okay, onee-sama?" Yumi asked worriedly. She knew Sachiko was a bit afraid of great heights.

_Oh my, it's a bit higher than I had imagined. But I can't ruin this, I'm finally alone with Yumi._

"Don't worry about me, Yumi. It'll be alright. I want to go to the top and enjoy the view with you."

_Why do I always manage to say such embarrassing things? The only effect they have is me wanting to kiss Yumi even more, because she is so cute every time she blushes._

And indeed, Yumi was blushing yet again. "Ye.. Yes, onee-sama, let's go to the top together." They went inside and paid for an entrance ticket. They went into the elevator and because of some weird twist of fate found themselves alone in it.

_Wait, wasn't it pretty busy back there? Why on earth is it then that we're alone in this elevator? I'm alone with Yumi in a small, enclosed space? Oh dear, I can feel my heart pound fiercely. Ah Yumi, how I want to grab you and kiss you senseless…_

Whilst Sachiko was in struggle with herself and seemed to have only attention for her thoughts, looking quite stern in the process, Yumi was staring at her with a troubled look on her face. It was no more than normal, seeing as the girl couldn't possibly know what her onee-sama was thinking, therefore having the idea that Sachiko was not enjoying herself – or even worse, was mad for some reason.

"Onee-sama?" came her tentative voice. Sachiko looked up surprised and turned her head to face Yumi. "I'm sorry, Yumi. What is it?" she said with a slightly trembling voice.

_Oh no, __has Yumi noticed something? Did I do something inappropriate?_

"You were looking quite grim just moments ago. Is something the matter?"

_No not really, besides the fact that I bet you look fa-bu-lous without your clothes on._

"Ah, I'm sorry Yumi. I was just thinking about something. I hadn't even noticed that I was looking so gloomy. Don't worry, I'm really enjoying myself now."

"I'm so glad, onee-sama!" Yumi sighed, looking relieved. She really didn't want Sachiko to be feeling unhappy. "Oh look, the elevator stopped!" she said. The doors of the elevator opened and revealed a bright round room; light was pouring into it from everywhere, because the walls only existed out of windows. Yumi grabbed Sachiko's hand and dragged her to a window. "Look, onee-sama," Yumi said excited. "You can see so much from here! What a beautiful view!" Sachiko was really enjoying the feeling of her petite soeur's hand in her own, but managed to say: "Yes, the view is really breathtaking."

_But not as breathtaking as you. _

They enjoyed the view and the company of the other as long as possible.

--

_Yoshino's POV_

"You're la-ate, Yumi-san!" Yoshino pointed out accusingly, but inwardly she was smiling.

_Is there perhaps a reason for you to be late?_

"Yes, I'm sorry," Yumi said, excusing herself. "But the bus was a little late, and it was really busy, so it had to stop at nearly every bus stop."

_Thanks for smashing my hope into little pieces, Yumi. Hmm, you don't look any different, so I guess nothing did happen. Don't worry, there's still tonight to get things to evolve some more…_

"It's no problem," Shimako said. "We still have plenty of time to stroll around the city. Did you enjoy yourselves at the tower?"

"Oh yes, the view was really stunning!" Yumi exclaimed. "You could see buildings from miles away! Onee-sama wasn't even afraid of the height!"

"Well, perhaps I was a little bit uneasy at the beginning," Sachiko said. "But I forgot all of it when I saw the landscape beneath us. It was really marvelous." Her beaming face proved it.

_My, you look rather happy. Is it because of the beautiful view, or is it because you enjoyed being with Yumi alone?_

"Did you enjoy yourselves, Rei?" Sachiko asked.

"Of course," the girl answered. "It was rather exhausting, though. At the top, we were so tired at first that we didn't notice the landscape beneath us. But it was really beautiful! Afterwards, we just took the cable car back to the bottom, seeing as Yoshino's," she poked the younger girl, "feet hurt."

"Rei-chan!"

Yumi giggled and turned to Noriko and Shimako. "So, did you have a good time?" she asked. The two faced each other, blushes creeping to their faces; Yumi was watching them curiously. They quickly composed themselves and Noriko answered: "Yes, they have some really nice statues in Kobe. Maybe we'll come back some other day to watch them again."

"That's great, Noriko-chan!" Yumi was really happy because they had enjoyed themselves so much. "Let's go now, shall we?" Sachiko said. "If else we don't have much time to tour the city before it gets dark."

--

"Honestly, Yoshino, I'm quite certain that this won't work. Sachiko is very prude when it comes to matters regarding her own body."

"Come on, Rei-chan, you haven't even asked her yet! Besides, you're her friend, and it's not like there's a hot springs everywhere. I bet she wants to visit it as badly as _I_ want her to visit it!"

It was already 9 o'clock in the evening. After they had toured the city a bit, eaten and toured some more, the six girls had gone back to the hotel. Now Yoshino and Rei were in their room having a small argument about Yoshino's plan. The girl wanted her cousin to bring Sachiko with her to the hot springs, but Rei was really not looking forward to that. She was pretty sure the Rose would decline her offer; knowing her for quite some time already, she had noticed that Sachiko did not like to bathe in public places.

"Look, the hot springs of this hotel is free to visit for every hotel guest, so I don't think Sachiko and I will be the only ones in there," Rei noted. "I know that, but as the brochure clearly said, every hotel room can make a reservation for the hot springs _once_ during their stay," Yoshino countered. "So I made a reservation for tonight, so you won't have any trouble from the other guests!" The young girl was looking at her cousin with such a determined look, that Rei really couldn't do anything. She knew Yoshino, and she knew the girl would persist in every possible way.

"Alright then," Rei sighed. "I'll go and ask Sachiko, but you can't be mad if she doesn't want to come!"

"Ah, but she will come with you," Yoshino said, feeling quite sure of herself. "Okay, wait here. First I have to get Yumi out of her room, and when I give the sign you can go and take Sachiko-sama to the hot springs. After all, Yumi can't know where her onee-sama is going." Yoshino was looking disturbingly excited now: her eyes were shining and her smile was bigger and more evil than Rei had ever seen. She quickly kissed her cousin and dashed out of the room.

--

"You need to show me something?" Yumi asked curiously. "What then?"

"You'll know when you see it, now come on!" Yoshino urged.

"But what about onee-sama?"

"I'll ask Rei-chan to keep her company, is that okay then?"

"Eh… Why can't she just come with us?"

"Because I want to show it to _you_, Yumi-san!"

_G__eez, stop worrying about Sachiko-sama already, Yumi. It's very cute and all that, but right now, I need you to cooperate with me!_

"Oh, okay then. First let me tell onee-sama that I'm going away with you."

Yumi went inside her room and closed the door; Yoshino took the opportunity to give Rei the sign: she knocked on the door of her hotel room 5 times. At that moment, Shimako and Noriko stepped out of their room, holding towels.

"Shimako-san," Yoshino said. "Where are you going, holding those towels?"

Shimako seemed to hesitate to answer, but then replied: "Noriko and I wanted to visit the hot springs. I would be a shame if we didn't visit it, because you don't have those everywhere and-"

"No, you can't!" Yoshino interrupted loudly. Shimako and Noriko looked at each other with raised eyebrows before Noriko said: "Why not, Yoshino-sama? It _is_ a public bath, you can come too if you want to."

_Yeah right, like you want me to come along and disturb the fun you could have if you were alone._

"It's not that," Yoshino whispered with a conspiring voice. "I made a reservation for this evening for the hot springs. So Sachiko-sama and Yumi can be alone in there." She practically mouthed the last sentence.

"But you haven't mentioned any of that in your plan," Shimako remarked.

"I know, but that's because initially the hot springs were already reserved for this evening," Yoshino explained. "But at the last minute the guests who made the reservation called it off, so the receptionist told me I could have the hot springs for tonight. Ah, Yumi-san!" The brown-haired girl stepped out of her room. Yoshino quickly grabbed her arm, as she did not want to give the other two girls time to protest. "Okay, Yumi-san, let's go! Noriko-chan, Shimako-san, good day and I know you'll find another way to have fun this evening." She winked and walked away, dragging a perplexed Yumi with her.

"Ah… That's really too bad," Noriko pouted, looking very disappointed. "I understand that Yoshino-sama wants Yumi-sama's relationship with Rosa Chinensis to develop further, and I really want that too… But I was so looking forward to go to the hot springs with you, Shimako…"

Shimako stared at the younger girl with an unreadable look, then leaned closer until her lips were next to Noriko's ear and whispered: "It's okay, Noriko. I think we can find … other … activities for us to do this evening." She then walked slowly back to her room, leaving a flustered Noriko behind to stare at her. At the door, the Rose turned around and said: "Are you coming?" She did not have to ask it twice.

--

"Going to the hot springs? I was actually planning on reading a bit before Yumi comes back."

"Sachiko," Rei said, looking very serious. "You can read anywhere any time you want. I don't think you can visit a hot springs anywhere any time you want. Really, this is a great opportunity! Plus, we'll be alone, don't worry. I know you don't like to bathe in public, so we reserved the hot springs for our room so the other hotel guests aren't allowed in it."

Sachiko looked doubtful; she really did not like public baths, even if there was no-one in them. And what if Yumi came back, and she wasn't here? Wouldn't the poor girl feel like she was left behind? Then again, she was away with Yoshino… And it was indeed a nice chance for her to soak in a hot springs. It was better to go now, before Yumi came back and was invited to come to the hot springs too. Sachiko really did not want to see Yumi naked, because if she did…

"Sachiko…" Rei said with a singsong voice, waving a towel in front of her face.

"Please, would you stop doing that." Sachiko was watching her fellow Rose with a look that could easily destroy a country.

"Hmmm, only if you come with me," the other girl replied, ignoring Sachiko's expression and still waving the towel. Sachiko sighed but then said: "Wait a minute, okay? Let me get my towel." _I guess it can't do me harm, can it?_ The girl couldn't be more wrong.

--

"Honestly, Yoshino-san, it was very nice of you to show me those dolls in the souvenir shop, but I really thought it was a matter of life and death when you asked me to come with you!"

"I just thought they would make a great gift for your parents, you know, as a souvenir," Yoshino said, faking a hurt voice.

_To be honest, I really like those dolls. I'll probably buy them myself. But that's not the real reason why I brought you with me, Yumi._

"But if you don't appreciate…" "No, of course I do!" Yumi gasped. "It was very sweet of you to show me those dolls, they are very beautiful! I think I'll buy one for my mother when the trip is over." The two girls were standing in front of Yumi's room. "Onee-sama?" Yumi asked when she opened the door. The room was dark. "She's probably away with Rei-chan," Yoshino explained when the other girl began to panick slightly.

_Good, they're gone. Part 1 of the hot springs-plan succeeded._

"Why don't we do something else together? I heard there's a hot springs in this hotel, why don't we visit it now?"

"Hot springs? Oh really?" Yumi said, sounding very excited. "I've always wanted to visit a hot springs! Ah, but don't we have to bring the others too?" She was about to knock on Shimako's door, when Yoshino quickly said: "I think Shimako-san and Noriko-chan are quite busy now, so we'd better not disturb them."

_I think they really, _really_ don't want to be disturbed now._

"Eh? Okay, let's get our towels then."

--

"Oh no! Yumi-san, I forgot my favourit face cloth! I really can't take a bath without it, let me quickly go and get it now; you can go in without me already, I'll be back before you know it!" And with that Yoshino ran off, leaving a perplexed Yumi alone in the dressing room. Yoshino ran straight back to her room, opened the door and slammed it shut. To her immense relief she saw Rei sitting on the bed, obviously waiting for her. "So, how did it go?" Yoshino asked all worked up. "Everything went fine. Sachiko believed me when I said I quickly needed to get my own special shampoo. I hid her clothes in a closet and came straight back here. Sachiko should be all alone in the hot springs, now."

"But not for long," Yoshino added. She was thrilled that everything had worked out perfectly.

_This is going excellent! Oh man, if Yumi doesn't feel anything now, she's probably not in love with Sachiko-sama. I mean, nothing is more arousing than seeing your onee-sama wet in a steamy bath!_

"Let's go back in about 10 minutes," she said. "So we don't raise any suspicion. If we don't go back, they'll know we set it all up. For now, let's just hope something happens in the time those two are alone."

--

Yumi undressed herself and laid her clothes in one of the cabinets. She then took her towel, put it around her waist and opened the door to the hot springs. "Finally, Rei. I thought you'd never…" Sachiko was immediately silenced when she saw that the person coming in was not Rei, but her petite soeur!

"O… Onee-sama," Yumi stuttered, eyes wide in shock. Her onee-sama was standing next to the showers. She was wet and sweaty but above all, she was naked. Butt naked.

--

**A/N: ****About the Kobe trip: I just looked up some things you can see in Kobe, but the rest is all fiction. So don't shoot me if it seems unrealistic to you. --**

**I have been purposely neglecting Yumi's thoughts. That's because the next chapter will be entirely in Yumi's POV. (well****, not exactly her POV, but you know what I mean)**** I hope you're looking forward to it, lol.**


	5. Chapter 5

Note 1: Some thoughts about the previous chapters.

1. It does seem like Shimako and Noriko are sex maniacs. Well, I purposely made them that way. Consider this: they are young, beautiful girls with huge libido's and they love each other. Lol.

2. As much as I would like to keep faithful to the characters' personalities (**if** they are in, what I consider, a situation as it could be found in the anime), it is difficult for this kind of story.

Note 2: I've gotten into a little accident, so I won't go to school for a couple of days. I need to study, but decided to finish this chapter first. (All those pleads to update quickly :p) I don't know when I'll update next, though. Anyway, here's chapter V, enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria sama ga miteru.**

**Chapter V **

Yumi had never thought of her onee-sama in a sexual way. Sure, she blushed every time Sachiko said something sweet to her; true, she thought Sachiko was the most beautiful, elegant, gracious person she knew; yes, she liked it whenever Sachiko touched her, whether it was a nudge or a hug. But she had never, ever thought of her onee-sama as more than her best friend, her guardian, her _onee-sama_… Or at least, she never consciously had. But now, as the girl was staring at Sachiko's uncovered body, feelings that were more than those of friendship, feelings of wanting to touch her gorgious onee-sama in a way that was very improper, feelings of _lust_, were rapidly making their way into Yumi's abdomen.

_What is onee-sama doing here? And why does she look so incredibly_** sexy**_ when she's got nothing on? She's wet… The water is dripping from her hair to her face… down from her neck over her collarbone to her…_

"Yumi! You scared me to death, wha… Why… What on earth are you doing here?" Sachiko shrieked, completely forgetting about her usual calm and lady-like behavior; she was very conscious of the fact that she was wet and naked and that her petite soeur was looking at her! "Ah, eh, onee-sama, eh…"

_Why can't I find anything to say? Maybe because onee-sama's beauty is taking my breath away… How can a person's body be so perfect? The colour of her skin is so light, she almost looks like an angel… I want to touch it with my lips, I want to know how it tastes… Oh my god, _**what am I thinking??**

"Yumi!"

"I'm sorry, onee-sama!" Yumi blurted out. "I did not know you were in here! I just came here with Yoshino-san, but she had to go back to get her face cloth! I'll go away now!"

_But to be honest, I don't want to go away, I want to keep staring at your goddess-like body, onee-sama. No, I have to stop thinking this way!_

Yumi was about to turn around, when Sachiko finally got her voice back (she had been staring at Yumi's almost-naked body herself with a sense of desire) and said, sounding rather hoarse: "Wait, Yumi. There's nothing to be sorry about, this is a public bath. Well, actually, tonight it isn't, because Rei made a reservation for her room. But Yoshino sleeps in the same room and she brought you with her. It's your equal right to be here. So please, don't go away." Sachiko vehemently wished she wasn't doing the wrong thing; she knew it was very dangerous to keep Yumi here, but she did not want her petite soeur to go away.

"You… You don't mind?" Yumi whispered cautiously. But her insides were twitching and her heart was beating like madness. "No, of course not. Come, let's bathe together." Sachiko slowly walked towards the hot springs, in the process grabbing her towel which laid on the floor uselessly, and slipped into the water. Yumi followed her example, in the meanwhile slowly removing the towel from her waist. Sachiko's eyes grew wide with horror when she saw what her petite soeur was doing and she quickly turned her head. _I'm so stupid, of course Yumi has to take off her towel before she can enter the hot springs!_ She heard the girl enter the water. Yumi let herself slip so far into it so that only her head could be seen.

_My heart is beating so fast and I'm feeling incredible hot right now… Is it because of the water, or is it because I know onee-sama is naked and standing only a few metres away? If I went to her I could touch her. Aaaargh_,** stop it already!**

Both of them were silent, each busy with their own thoughts. Sachiko struggled to keep her from jumping Yumi and Yumi was having her own difficulties. Luckily it was rather foggy in the hot springs, so they couldn't see through the water.

_Onee-sama… Why is it that I want to kiss you? Would you be mad if you knew? ... Of course you'd be mad, I'm having these thoughts of kissing you, another girl! Oh god, I'm feeling so weird, I've never felt this way…_

But then Yumi vaguely remembered that she had felt like this once before. It was after Sachiko told her for the first time that she loved her. Only at that time, the girl hadn't paid much attention to the feeling inside of her; she had been so concerned about Sachiko that she couldn't possibly have given any special thoughts to it! But now Yumi remembered the feeling, the urge of wanting to kiss her onee-sama at that time.

_Is it because of love? Am I… in love with Sachiko-sama?_

At that thought, she jumped up, revealing her upper body to a shocked Sachiko, who was staring at it with eyes as big as water melons. "I'm sorry, onee-sama!" Yumi uttered. "I… I remembered I have something to do! If you'll excuse me now!" Yumi jumped out of the water and ran to the door leading to the dressing room. She was in such a hurry, that it didn't even occur to her that she was completely naked. Before Sachiko could say anything to stop her, Yumi had already entered the dressing room. She quickly put her clothes on, which became totally wet as Yumi hadn't dried herself. The girl didn't pay attention to it however; she just ran and ran, until she reached her room. She went inside, slammed the door shut and after a few minutes of just standing there, realised what she had done.

_What have I done? Onee-sama will think I've gone crazy! Well, maybe I have, but still! Oh my god, my chest hurts… My heart is beating so fast I can hardly take it… It's because I'm thinking of you, onee-sama! _

Yumi dropped herself onto the bed, breathing heavily.

_No, no, is it really because I'm in love with Sachiko-sama? But she's a girl! _I'm_ a girl! Is it alright to have these kind of emotions? Why did this feeling explode in my chest like fireworks on New Years-day? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I will be sleeping with her in the same bed tonight!!_

The girl twisted and turned on the bed in an attempt to shake the confusion out of her head; she had never given any thoughts to her sexuality, but deep down inside she knew the truth: she was in love with another girl, and that girl happened to be her onee-sama. After a while, after taking a few deep breaths, Yumi managed to calm down a bit.

_I can't stop thinking of onee-sama… It's like every line, every curve of her body is printed in my mind and is there to stay forever. I need to… To act like nothing happened… Like I haven't realised something important…_

But she knew it would be hard. It was as everybody said: her emotions could be easily read from her face.

_Then I'll have to try my best to keep my face emotionless. I really can't handle this now, it's all too sudden... But is it really so sudden? I know I love Sachiko-sama, there's no doubt about that. So how come I'm conscious of _this_ feeling only now? Well, seeing onee-sama naked might have helped a bit._

Yumi laughed. It was no humorous sound; it was a bitter, for Yumi very uncharacteristic laugh.

_But she's so incredibly pretty... Can I really keep my emotions hidden, and especially from onee-sama? She'll see right through me... No, I won't allow her to do that. What would she think if she knew I was in love with her? Come on, Yumi, you must act normal! _

The girl got up from the bed, then noticed she was still soaking wet. Shivering, she undressed herself and went to the bathroom to have a hot bath. This was going to be a very long evening.

--

The six girls were in Yoshino's room playing card games. It was already past midnight, but they were having too much fun to stop. Or so it seemed.

Yoshino was wondering what had happened at the hot springs, because when she and Rei went back, only Sachiko was there. The Rose hadn't told them what had happened and she hadn't seemed in the mood to do so. Yoshino hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Yumi yet, but she really wanted to. Her curiosity was driving her crazy; she wanted to know why her friend hadn't been there in the hot springs and what she was thinking now. But for the moment, Yoshino needed to act normal.

Sachiko was in a strange mood. She was happy that she had been in the hot springs with Yumi, even if it was only for a moment, but on the other hand she was feeling stressed, because her petite soeur had fled the hot springs and acted a bit strange ever since. She knew the girl, and she knew she had tried to act in her own Yumi-ish way, but it was not enough to fool her. Sachiko had asked what had happened at the hot springs and if something was wrong, but Yumi had said it was nothing, had said that onee-sama didn't have to worry so much and that everything was fine. Unfortunately, Sachiko couldn't have pressed her petite soeur into telling the truth, because at that moment someone had knocked on the door. And now they were here in Rei's room, playing card games. She just had to talk to Yumi again later, when they were alone.

It was no more than normal that of all persons in the room, Yumi Fukuzawa had the most difficult time in putting up an act. Everyone was sitting on the bed, meaning that the girl was only mere inches away from the reason why she was so upset. She tried hard not to feel the tingeling sensations every time she felt her onee-sama gazing at her, but it was of no use: her heart was beating franticly and her palms were slightly sweaty. Yumi hoped that they would stay up all night; the reason was pretty obvious. She was afraid to sleep in the same bed as Sachiko. The girl dreaded it so much that she could hardly think of anything else. It was difficult enough to have these feelings, but with the upcoming night drawing closer and closer... It would be impossible to handle, Yumi knew. The girl was facing the biggest dilemma in her life now.

_I can't possibly sleep next to __Sachiko-sama! What if I do something to her, because I can't hold myself much longer..? I want to kiss her so badly! But then again, if I refuse to sleep in the same bed, she would definitely notice something wasn't right. Ah, my head is about to burst..._

At this point, it was pretty clear to everyone that Yumi was all tensed up. While she was thinking, she had totally forgot 'to act like everything was normal', thereby showing her emotions on her face for everyone to see. Like usual.

"... Yumi-san? Are you feeling well?"

Hearing Shimako's voice, the girl snapped back to reality and quickly looked around. Everyone was watching her, and when her eyes met Sachiko's, she could see the worry in the older girl's face.

"I'm… I'm feeling fine, Shimako-san. I was just concentrating so hard on the game…"

"The game is already over, Yumi." Sachiko looked pained.

_No, please onee-sama, don't look like that, it hurts me to see you like that!_

_"_You must be very tired, it's been a long day. Maybe we should all go to bed now." Sachiko grabbed her petite soeur's hand and looked the girl directly in the eyes. "Please, Yumi." Concern was written all over her face.

_St... stop looking like that, onee-sama... _

If possible,Yumi's heart was beating even faster than before. But she somehow felt warm and safe, with Sachiko holding her hand; it made her a bit drowsy, losing herself in those beautiful eyes, and now that she thought about it, she indeed felt exhausted. It had been such a long and tiresome day.

_I'm feeling so__ tired all of a sudden... _

"Come Yumi, let's go to bed. Good night, everyone."

--

It was as if the burden of the realisation had drained the energy out of Yumi. The girl didn't realize that she was practically leaning on her onee-sama when they went back to their own room. Sachiko carefully led Yumi to the bed and tucked her in. "My Yumi, what is it with you today," she whispered, but so soft that the younger girl couldn't hear her. Caressing her cheeks, Sachiko stared at her petite soeur, whose eyes were almost closed. "Onee-sama." It was no more than a sigh.

_I don't care anymore if you sleep next to me, onee-sama. I'm just so awfully tired now, I need some rest... Hmmm, your hand feels so good... _

Sachiko saw the girl she loved slowly drifting away in dreamland. She kept looking at her until her breathing was slow and deep, indicating that she was fast asleep.

"Yumi..." Sachiko bend low as if she wanted to kiss the girl on the lips, but changed her mind and kissed her on the forehead instead. _I love you too much to steal a kiss from you, Yumi._ Then she placed herself next to her petite soeur and quickly fell asleep herself. It had also been a long and tiresome day for her. And the trip had only begun. What would tomorrow bring for them?

--

**A/N: Onwards to the next chapter then!**


	6. Chapter 6

Note: Thanks for the reviews!**  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maria-sama ga miteru.****  
**

**Chapter VI**

Today was the day they were going to see some interesting museums. First they would pay a visit to the Kobe city museum, a museum that exhibited eastern - and western-styled art and one of the biggest museums in the city. Then they would grab lunch, followed by a visit to the Kobe City Museum of Literature and a visit to the Sorakuen Garden, a beautiful Japanese-styled garden. They had planned to take a stroll in the huge downtown market in the evening.

Yoshino was still looking for a chance to have a private conversation with Yumi. The six girls had gotten up at 8.30, eaten breakfast together and taken the subway to the Historical Museum. Yoshino had never found a moment alone with Yumi; she did try it, but it seemed like Yumi hadn't wanted to be alone with one person. They always had to be with at least three. But now they were in the museum, and if she had to, she would drag Yumi to a secluded corner and interrogate her brains to pulp.

Sachiko too, was still looking for a private moment with her petite soeur. When she had gotten up, she had noticed that Yumi was taking a shower. She had waited for her so they could go to the breakfast table together; the walk to the dining room however had been in silence. Sachiko felt so cowardly for not taking that opportunity to talk to Yumi. She did not fully understand why she hadn't started a conversation… Maybe it had been Yumi's distant look. Her eyes had been dull and the corners of her mouth had been pointing slightly down, barely noticeable. But Sachiko had seen it. She would see everything that concerned the girl. And now something was terribly upsetting her, Sachiko knew. She wanted to talk about it, but seeing that look on her face, it had completely blocked her senses… It had been so faraway, so un-Yumi-like, that Sachiko had felt like her heart was about to stop beating and she herself would stop breathing. It had hurt her so much. She _needed_ to know what the girl was thinking. She wanted to help her, be there for her, be a proper onee-sama. But which good onee-sama was scared of talking to her petite soeur like Sachiko had been this morning? This time she had to take action; they would have a conversation in the museum. The building was big enough for them to be alone somewhere, and not to be disturbed.

--

" Yoshino-chan? Have you seen Yumi somewhere?"

"I don't know where she is, Sachiko-sama. I'm looking for her myself."

After they had left their bags at the depot near the entrance, Yumi had wandered away quickly. She wanted to enjoy this visit to the city museum, and she couldn't do that if someone else was with her who could see the many emotions displayed on her face. She did not want to worry the other members of the Yamayurikai, and especially not Sachiko. Plus, some time alone was exactly what she needed now. Walking around in the huge halls, Yumi finally felt a bit more relaxed. She knew she had been not herself this morning, but how much she had wanted to hide it, she had been too distracted to even notice she was trying to keep her face still. Now, the tension Yumi had felt for the last twelve hours ebbed away a little. She was clearly enjoying seeing Japanese and western-styled paintings displayed next to each other, with a word of explanation about the many differences between them. "How beautiful…" the girl muttered when she saw two small paintings next to each other: the first was a painting of sakura trees in spring, the second one was a realistic painting of oak trees.

_These paintings are beautiful, each one on its own special way. They are so different, yet so similar. _

Yumi smiled. It reminded her of Sachiko and herself. Yes, they were two completely different people – Sachiko was the embodiment of grace and feminity, Yumi was called 'raccoon-girl' – but in essence, they were the same. Both shy and stubborn, both caring and warm-hearted. One might say Sachiko was not at all like that, but Yumi knew her onee-sama better than anyone in the world.

_Yet again, I'm thinking of Sachiko-sama. Wasn't I supposed to just watch these works of art? _

Yumi chuckled. There was no way she could stop thinking about the girl. Maybe she didn't want to, either. Taking one last look at the two paintings, Yumi went to the next room. It was a fairly small room, where the lights seemed to be out. The only light came from a high window at the end of the hall. There were some sculptures and vases, but it looked like the room was being restored. Yumi took a few hesitant steps and went around a pillar; what she saw then, shocked her to death.

Noriko and Shimako were standing next to a giant vase, a bit hidden by the shadow, kissing each other as if their lives depended on it. They were gasping and moaning and totally oblivious to the fact that Yumi was staring at them, mouth gaping, eyes wide open.

_Eh? What… Those two are…_

Yumi could not think coherently, but her mind completely stopped when she saw Shimako's hand sliding under Noriko's blue shirt. "Oh, Shimako…" the younger girl groaned. Yumi had seen (and heard) enough; she somehow felt her legs again and jolted out of the room. She kept running and only when she was about 5 rooms further, stopped to breath.

_Noriko-chan and Shimako… They were, they are… Oh my!_

Yumi only realized now what she had unconsciously thought for quite some time. The members of the White Rose family were a couple. And a rather fiery couple too…! After recovering from the shock, Yumi began to smile. She couldn't help it, she was happy; a warm and pleasant feeling had settled itself in her stomach.

_Shimako… Noriko-chan… You've found each other. You don't care whether you're both girls... I'm so happy for you! _

A change had taken place in Yumi's heart. She had witnessed the passionate love between her two female friends, and it was without a doubt that the girls loved each other with their entire heart. It was as if she had felt the joy radiating from their bodies.

_And I felt a lot more tha__n only joy radiating from them…!_

An image of Sachiko and herself kissing in the same way, popped into Yumi's mind. The girl began to blush furiously and tried to shake the thought out of her head, without success. Nevertheless, the warm feeling stayed in her heart, because she understood better now. She understood what she felt, and she understood that there was no need to deny it.

Still smiling, the girl walked to the next painting.

--

Sachiko had finally managed to have a private talk with her petite soeur. She had spotted Yumi in a small, deserted hall, looking at a tiny sculpture. It had been a rather one-sided conversation though. After Sachiko had nudged the girl, Yumi had begun to explain that she was feeling a lot better now. She had apologized for her weird and distant behaviour from the last twelve hours, and had said that Sachiko didn't have to worry anymore. She had also regretted that she had cost her onee-sama pain and concern, but no more of that! Yes, she was feeling a lot better now, and they should enjoy this trip as much as possible. During the conversation, Sachiko had not seen any doubt or hesitation in the younger girl's eyes, so she had obviously spoken the truth. Although Sachiko was still curious of why Yumi had behaved that way, she was glad that the girl felt happy again. She knew it was best for her not to press Yumi, and perhaps later the girl would tell her what had been going on. For now, everything seemed alright again.

--

_Yoshino's POV_

"Yumi-san! I can't believe you just went away on your own. I thought you had been eaten by a gaint tanuki or something!" Yumi giggled; seeing Yoshino all fired up was making her laugh. "Don't worry, Yoshino-san. As you can see, I'm standing here before you, uneaten. I just wanted to see the museum at my own pace, I hope you didn't mind?" Yoshino eyed the girl, then sighed.

_Geez Yumi, you're such a weirdo. Oh well, at least we're alone now. I will finally learn what has happened._

They were in a cozy restaurant near the museum. Actually, while the rest was actually sitting at a table, Yumi and Yoshino were in the toilet of the restaurant; Yoshino had dragged the other girl with her. Now they were standing next to a washing bin. "I brought you here for a reason, Yumi-san. Care to explain to me where you were when I got back to the hot springs?" A slight change in mood could be seen on Yumi's face, but her voice was firm when she answered. "Isn't it obvious, Yoshino-san? Onee-sama was in there, and I did not want to disturb her. I must admit, it was a shock to see her there." By now, Yumi's cheeks were a bit flustered. "You did not want to disturb her?" Yoshino sounded sceptical. "In what business could you have disturbed Sachiko-sama? I've gone to the hot springs too, with Rei-chan, and Sachiko-sama was there. No word came out of her mouth of how we might disturb her." Yoshino put her hand on Yumi's shoulder, and pulled the girl a bit closer. "You're blushing, Yumi-san. I bet you saw Sachiko-sama naked, didn't you?" Yumi tried hard to keep her face still, but it was of no use. Yoshino saw everything, and giggled. "I'll take that as a yes. So, tell me, Yumi-san, what was going through your mind when you saw her like that?"

_Finally I'll get to know everything! Even when you won't tell me truth, Yumi, I'll find out. Really, your expressions say enough. _

"Eh? What do you mean, what was going through my mind when I saw her like that?" Although Yumi had accepted her feelings for Sachiko, she was still not ready to share it with the world, let alone with the other members of the Yamayurikai, who were all close to Sachiko. "Oh, eh, I think we need to go back-" The girl tried to leave, but Yoshino pulled out her arm to stop her. "Oh, you're not going anywhere! It's a simple question, isn't it? I think you know what I mean when I ask you what crossed your mind when you saw Sachiko-sama naked." Yoshino watched her friend expectantly whilst wearing an evil smirk on her face.

_Oh, look at that. Yumi's face is all purple now. Poor girl, maybe I shouldn't tease her so much… Or maybe I should press her even more. Hmmm, yeah, I think I'll do the latter._

Yumi's mouth opened and closed like that of a fish. "You're looking very intelligent that way," Yoshino noted. "Unable to answer, huh?" Yumi looked her friend in the eyes. "Why are you so curious about it anyway, Yoshino-san? I mean, what makes you think that I would feel anything abnormal if I saw onee-sama in, ehm… unusual clothing?" Yoshino burst out in laughter. "You mean, without _any_ clothing, Yumi-san!" While Yumi was muttering something incomprehensible, Yoshino composed herself and suddenly became serious. "Yumi-san. I know you, and I know the way you look at Sachiko-sama. You don't look at me like that. You don't look at anyone else like that. It's an expression you hold only for Sachiko-sama." Yumi stared at her friend, looking a bit confused. Yoshino's eyes grew wide in astonishment.

_No way, this can't be… She didn't know herself? Oh my god Yumi, I thought you we__re dense enough, never seeing the way Sachiko-sama looked at you, but you even did not notice how you looked at her yourself! Geez, how can a person be so blind? _

"You never noticed, Yumi-san?" Yoshino let out a deep sigh when Yumi slowly nodded, staring at the floor. "Well, maybe it's not so surprising, since it is you, after all." At hearing those words, Yumi suddenly looked up. "Why is it not surprising if it's me?"

_Ah, woops. Hmm, she might as well know it herself. _

"Because, Yumi-san, you. are. dense." Yumi opened her mouth, but Yoshino lifted her finger indicating that she had to be quiet. "You see so much around you, you see other people's emotions and moods, but you never seem to notice anything when it's regarding you and Sachiko-sama! That's why it's not surprising, you understand me now?" By now, Yumi was completely flabbergasted. "Ah, maybe it's time we got back to the others, don't you think? Let's talk again later, okay?" Yoshino was smiling as she walked back to the table; Yumi followed a few staps behind, still a bit perplexed.

_You haven't told me anything, Yumi, but I know enough. I knew I could rely on those expressions of yours, they're so easy to read. Alright! I knew my plan was going to work, she's finally aware of her own feelings! But the trip isn't over yet… The next step is to make sure their relationship develops a whole lot more! I __hope you'll think about my words in the meanwhile, Yumi. If you understand them, then you'll see what is waiting for you and only for you.  
_

--

_Yumi's__ POV_

They were sitting on the bus to the Sorakuen Garden. The visit to the Museum of Literature had been interesting, and everything seemed back to normal. Yoshino was in her evil-plotting mood again; Rei was simply hoping she could calm her cousin down a bit before the girl did anything stupid; Shimako was serene as usual, but her thoughts were anything but serene; Noriko was just being Noriko, thinking of finding a nice place in the garden where she and Shimako could be alone; Sachiko was feeling relaxed, looking out of the window and fantasizing about Yumi in a way a lady would never do; and Yumi had her face still for once. However, the girl was actually thinking all sorts of things. Although Yumi had been surprised by Yoshino's words, after thinking about them for a while, she had come to the conclusion that those words had a great deal of truth in them. And now her mind was working at top speed.

_If Yoshino saw it, does that mean everyone else saw it too? That look I __supposedly only give to onee-sama? But that would mean Sachiko-sama saw it too! Or not? She didn't act different towards me, so she couldn't have noticed, right? But then again, if Yoshino is completely right, that would mean I couldn't have noticed that Sachiko-sama was acting any differently, because I never notice anything regarding her and me! Eh? This is getting a bit too confusing… _

Yumi furrowed her eyebrows. A rather sudden thought ran through her mind now.

_Yoshino's words… She was saying I never noticed anything regarding Sachiko-sama and me… Was she implying something? Eh, I'm getting all paranoïd now! But I need to know if Sachiko-sama behaves unusual towards me, I need to know if she knows something. If she knew of my feelings for her, she would act differently, wouldn't she? Yes, of course she would! Okay, it's the perfect plan. I just need to pay extra attention to onee-sama's actions, but I can't behave unusual towards her. I have to behave absolutely normal. It'll work… I hope. Yes, I'm sure it'll work! Go, Yumi!_

Yumi took a deep breath and glanced at Sachiko. The girl was staring out of the window, but her eyes were glazed and she had a smirk on her face. As Yumi was wondering what her onee-sama was thinking, the bus arrived at the garden.

--

"Why don't we split up? I'm sure Shimako-san and Noriko-chan would want some time alone, I bet it's the same with you two." Yumi nodded at Yoshino and Rei. Then she turned to Sachiko. "I'd like to walk in this beautiful place with you, onee-sama." Yumi smiled, in the meanwhile hoping that she didn't sound suspicious or look like she wanted to make hot, passionate love to Sachiko (which she obviously wanted). Yoshino on the other hand, saw her carefully prepared plan going to waste. It had been her intention to let each Rose pair walk around alone, but seeing as Yumi had suggested it herself, there was no need for her plan anymore. Yoshino was curious about Yumi's intentions. Why did the girl want to be alone with Sachiko? Had Yumi realized something important? Noriko's voice made Yoshino snap out of her thoughts. "We don't mind. How about you, Yoshino-sama?" The girl shook her head. "No objections whatsoever." Yumi, who had been feeling a bit tense, relaxed a bit. "Okay, that's great! Let's meet back at the entrance around half past five, okay? Let's go, onee-sama!" She grabbed Sachiko's arm and leaned her head to her shoulder, carefully watching the girl out of the corner of her eye. Sachiko did not look repulsed, quite the contrary: her face was becoming red.

_Eh? Onee-sama is blushing? But... This is what I normally do, isn't it? So why is she blushing now?  
_

"Let's go, Yumi." Sachiko walked towards a small path hidden between two colourful flower beds, leading Yumi with her. She stopped to look at one of the small yellow flowers. "Isn't it beautiful? We used to have these at home. My mother would use them to arrange flowers." Yumi let go of Sachiko's arm and took her hands instead. "Really? That's so nice, onee-sama!" Yumi was wearing a radiant smile now; she loved flower arrangements. A millisecond later, she was conscious of the fact that she was holding her onee-sama's hands. Yumi tried to stay calm, but her heart had already started to beat faster. The warmth of Sachiko's hands felt so good. "Can you arrange flowers, onee-sama?" she continued, at the same time praying that she wasn't blushing. "I've always wanted to learn how to do it, it's so lovely! I was thinking that perhaps you could teach me?" Even though Yumi had to put a lot of energy in controlling her urges, she still observed Sachiko carefully. She saw that the girl reddened once more, and this time the colour was an even deeper shade of red. There was also a look in her eyes that Yumi couldn't make sense of.

_You're not revolted by me? So this means you don't know my feelings, right? Or else, you're a really good actor, onee-sama. ... Actually, you seem very happy now. You're blushing? And what's that look in your eyes?_

Yumi was feeling a bit confused by now. She was pretty sure she had acted as usual, or at least she had tried to. Sachiko however was acting differently indeed, but not in the way Yumi had imagined it. She had to know more of this strange behaviour. Grabbing all of her courage together, she placed a hand on Sachiko's forehead, while the other one was still holding her hands. "Are you feeling alright, onee-sama? You look a bit red. Do you have a fever?" Yumi saw Sachiko's eyes widen in shock, saw how she unconsciously licked her lips, saw that the colour of her face deepened even more until it was almost purple. At the same time, she felt Sachiko's temperature rising. At this point, Yumi's eyes grew big as she realised something.

_Oh my god... Could it possibly be...? I... I think Sachiko-sama is in love with me!_

--

**A/N: I really enjoy writing this story, hence the fast updates. (Well, I think I update pretty fast :p) **

**Ah, what will happen next? Find out, in the next chapter of 'It's just friendship'! Oh my god, now I sound like a really bad tv-series.**


	7. Chapter 7

Note: Thank you so much for the reviews, they make me _so_ happy . At Kurakami: It's so nice that you think the story is getting better and better! Museums are mysterious places... :p

--

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria-sama ga miteru.**

**Chapter VII**

'I think Sachiko-sama is in love with me.'

That sudden moment of insight had left Yumi in a state of blissful daze for the entire visit to the garden. She had been a bit distracted by the pure joy that overwhelmed her, but it hadn't stopped her from watching her onee-sama some more. The more she had observed Sachiko, the more she had become certain about the girl's feelings and the more she had become almost euphoric herself. Sachiko had had great difficulty in maintaining her usual behaviour, as Yumi hadn't been to shy to grab her onee-sama's hand whenever she could; actually, merely a touch from Yumi had been enough to completely disorder Sachiko's senses. But even though Sachiko had put a great deal of strength in keeping her hands off of her petite soeur, she had noticed yet another change in Yumi's mood. This time however, it had been a positive change: the girl had seemed to be enjoying herself a lot, and she had been smiling all the time. And there had been something else… Something Sachiko hadn't quite grasped yet…

The six girls were at the downtown market eating dinner at a small food stand. It was very cozy: the sky was already dark, but lights were hanging everywhere, and not only plain yellow and white ones. Red, green, blue and purple light bulbs were spread all over the area, creating an atmosphere of being at a carnival. Yumi was having the time of her life. Not only was she on vacation with her friends, having fun at such a grand market, but she was also more or less convinced that the person she loved, loved her back! On the way to the market she had been thinking about how to make her feelings clear to Sachiko, and now she was dreaming about Sachiko again, but this time her thoughts involved hot bubble baths and king-sized beds.

"Yoshino." Rei's voice made Yumi come back to the world of reality. "I'm going to take a walk with Sachiko, I hope you don't mind?" Yoshino was about to object, but then she realized this was the perfect opportunity to be alone with Yumi. "I don't mind, Rei-chan." Yoshino glanced at her friend, who had started eating pastry. "Because Yumi and I will shop together, isn't that right, Yumi-san?" Yumi, who had just taken a bite of her cake, stared at her friend before swallowing down the huge lump of food. "S-Sure, Yoshino-san," she agreed. However, she was a tad worried about what Yoshino might have up her sleeve. "Great, that's settled then." Rei clapped her hands. "We'll see you guys back at the hotel, okay? Don't stay away for too long, Yoshino. Be sure to be back at the hotel at least before 10.00 o'clock-" "Yeah, yeah, Rei-chan, don't worry about us! See you later!" Rei simply ruffled her cousin's hair and then went to Sachiko, who was already waiting for her.

"I'm sorry that we can't spend the evening together, Yumi. But I'll make up to you, okay? Then, see you later."

She gave her petite soeur a dazzling smile before disappearing into the crowd with Rei. "What was that all about," Yumi muttered. Why hadn't Sachiko told her she was going to spend the evening with Rei? And why did Sachiko have to give her that magnificent smile, which had made her heart skip a few beats?

"Well, if you don't mind then, we're off too." Shimako was standing behind Yoshino. "Noriko and I wanted to buy some souvenirs for our parents, and we saw a really cute stand over there-" "Then go already," Yosino said with a wink and a grin.

_You devilish girl, rrraw…_

"R-right." Shimako looked a bit flustered. "We'll see you at the hotel…" She and Noriko were already walking away, when Yumi called out. "Wait, Shimako-san, Noriko-chan!" The two girls turned around and stared at the girl curiously.

"What is it, Yumi-san?" Shimako looked at her friend questioningly.

"I-I just wanted to tell you…" Yumi swallowed, but she looked the members of the White Rose Family straight in the eyes. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm so happy for you, and that I think you definitely belong together." Yumi was looking sincerely happy. Yoshino watched her friend in surprise.

_Ah? So she has finally noticed? How nice for her! Well, it was bound to happen eventually… It really looks like Shimako and Noriko-chan can't go on not kissing each other for less than five minutes._

Noriko blinked her eyes a few times, while Shimako stared at Yumi with her mouth slightly open, as if she wanted to say something, but was unable to do so. "Yumi-san…" Shimako was finally able to say. Then a huge smile crossed her face. "Thank you so much, Yumi-san. I hope you'll find this kind of happiness too… and I hope that it will happen very soon!" Noriko merely looked at Yumi with a beaming face. After saying goodbye, the two girls too, disappeared into the crowd.

_Finally, we're alone again. The only thing for me left to do now is to find a nice and quiet place to chat…_

"Come on, Yumi-san!" Yoshino grabbed Yumi's wrist. "Let's have some fun, shall we?" She pulled the girl along with her, going into a totally different direction than the four other girls had. "Yoshino-san, wait up!" The brown-haired girl bounced after her friend clumsily. "Where are we going to…?" Yoshino didn't answer but proceeded into dragging Yumi along with her, until they reached a fairly quiet spot. She then stopped abruptly, making Yumi almost bump into her. "Eh? Yoshino-san? What are we doing here? All of the nice shops are in the other direction…" Yumi failed to finish her sentence properly as she saw the other girl turn around slowly, facing her with her eyes burning and her mouth twitched in a creepy grin. "Yumi-san," Yoshino began, still with that weird look on her face, "please tell me what has happened at the Sorakuen Garden, and why you wanted to be alone with Sachiko-sama."

_There's no escaping now, Yumi! Oh my, still acting surprised, are you? _

Indeed, Yumi's eyes were enormous and she was watching Yoshino as if the girl had a monkey on her head. Yoshino sighed.

_Yumi, why do you always have to react like that? It's driving me nuts! Sometimes I wish I could just read your thoughts, which would make everything so much easier! Fine, then I'll just have to act more boldly…_

"If you're scared of telling me that you wanted to be alone with Sachiko-sama so you could rip her clothes off behind some bushes, don't be. I already know you want to have her like that," Yoshino said in a blasé tone. Yumi's reaction on those words were predictable but still rather amusing: instead of just being surprised, Yumi was now utterly, completely speechless. The best way to describe her facial expression is to say that Yumi looked like she had seen David Beckham stripping in front of her. Yoshino grinned and then mercilessly continued speaking her mind, completely ignoring Yumi's idiotic expression.

"Or perhaps it was something else? Perhaps you just wanted to let her know that you're madly in love with her?"

Finally, Yumi managed to find her voice again. "Y-Yoshino-san!" She uttered in a shrill cry. "What are you saying all of a sudden? Please, stop talking like that-" "Only if you tell me why you wanted to be alone with Sachiko-sama," Yoshino cut in smoothly. She watched her friend with a look in her eyes that she saw as encouraging. Yumi however, interpreted the look as being one of pure mischief. But she knew she had no other choice but to tell her friend everything; if she didn't, Yoshino would keep saying those shocking things to her, just to tick her off.

"Fine," Yumi said with a determined glint in her eyes. By now she actually did want Yoshino and the rest of the Yamayurikai to know. Preferably she had chosen the moment herself, but as things had turned out this way, she had to tell everything now.

"I had thought about our conversation from earlier," Yumi began, while Yoshino was listening greedily, glad that she had been able to persuade Yumi. "You know, where you told me that I was so dense when it regarded matters concerning Sachiko-sama and me." Yoshino nodded, encouraging her friend. "Well, I must admit that I thought there had been some truthfulness in your words …"

_Eh? Yumi, everything I told you was true!_

"… so I decided to watch Sachiko-sama more carefully from now on." Yumi took a deep breath, then took the plunge. "I wanted to know if Sachiko-sama knew that I am in love with her. Because I am, with whole my heart."

Yumi awaited her friend's reaction, but she had not expected it to be her screaming "Finally you've realized, Yumi-san!" Then Yoshino hugged the other girl tightly, wearing a gigantic smile on her face.

_Go, Yumi! Doesn't it make you feel better, now that you have realised your feelings yourself? Oh! But if you have watched Sachiko-sama a bit more closely, you surely must've seen that she wants you as her breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner! _

She let go and eagerly asked Yumi what she had seen. "It was a bit weird," Yumi answered. "I observed her to see if she knew of my feelings, but instead… Well, instead I found out that she's in love with me… I think."

_There you have it! You've nailed it, Yumi!_

"Don't think it, Yumi-san, because it's soooo true!" Yoshino cried out, hopping up and down, totally forgetting herself. Yumi was blushing heavily, but she was happy. Yoshino's excitement and determination made her feel more sure about Sachiko's feelings towards her.

"So, what happened when you told her your feelings?" Yoshino asked after she had composed herself a little.

"Eh? What do you mean? I haven't told her my feelings yet…" Yumi fell silent as she saw Yoshino's eyes grow humongous out of pure disbelief.

_Oh. My. God._

"You _what_, Yumi-san! Why didn't you do it the moment you realized Sachiko-sama is in love with you? I mean, don't you want to share your feelings with her? Don't you want to kiss her?" Yoshino was heating up like a water boiler. "Yoshino-san!" Yumi gasped. "What are you saying? Of course I want to share my feelings with her, and kiss her… But you're talking as if confessing is something you can do just like that, _and_ in a public place in broad daylight!" Yumi was getting worked up too, which surprised Yoshino. Sure, the girl was always enthusiastic, but she never got worked up over words.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Yumi-san," she apologized, looking sheepishly.

_If I had to confess to Rei-chan in a public place… I couldn't have done it either! But I did kiss her immediately after I found out she loved me back…_

"So, what are you going to do then?"

Yumi began to blush furiously at hearing the question. She had thought about it, and she had made up her mind.

"Tonight, Yoshino-san, I'm going to show Sachiko-sama how I feel for her."

--

"Sachiko, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Sachiko and Rei were sitting in a little café near the market. It was a bit crowded in the room, but at least here they could talk privately and without being disturbed.

Sachiko had asked Rei if they could talk in private together. She had something she wanted to share with the Yellow Rose, and she needed to tell it as soon as possible. Rei hadn't minded and had suggested that they would spend the evening together; Yoshino could also spend some time with Yumi that way. Sachiko had agreed and now they were sitting opposite of each other at a small table.

"Rei. I take it you will not talk to anyone else about this? Not even Yoshino-chan?"

"Of course, Sachiko. But now you've made me curious. What's the matter?"

Sachiko took a sip from her tea, then continued. "You know that Yumi is a very important person to me. To be honest, she's the most important person in my life. Like Yoshino-chan is for you, I presume?" Rei merely nodded, watching her friend attentively.

"But it is more… the level of importance… that I wanted to talk to you about." Sachiko took another sip from her tea, as to prepare herself for what she was about to say. Rei said nothing, but simply waited for Sachiko to speak again.

"You see, for the last few months, I have been having these… feelings… towards Yumi. Not only feelings of love, because it's obvious that I love her. No, I noticed that I wanted more… I wanted more than only love Yumi as her onee-sama." Sachiko stopped as she sought out her words. When she spoke again, she sounded rougher.

"I'll just phrase myself bluntly now. I wanted to _have_ Yumi. I think you know what I mean."

Rei had not moved; her eyes hadn't even widened. The only indication showing that she had heard Sachiko, was a faint smile on her lips. Then she began to speak.

"Sachiko, I know perfectly what you mean. To be honest, I've always wondered why you kept it from me. It has been pretty obvious for quite a while now that you're deeply in love with Yumi-chan. Well, it was obvious to me, at least."

Her smile grew bigger. Sachiko was surprised, but then again, she wasn't. Rei was one of her best friends, and she had always been able to read Sachiko's emotions pretty well.

"Then, why haven't you told me you knew?"

Rei shook her head. "Would you have wanted me to?"

The Red Rose smiled. Rei had always known what she should or should not do. "I guess not. It would have been too much of a burden to me if I had known that you knew."

"Then, why are you telling me this now, Sachiko?"

Sachiko stared at the painting hanging above the entrance, then started to speak slowly. "These last few days have been so much fun. I am really enjoying this trip with everyone, but I enjoyed the time I spend with Yumi alone the most. I realized… I realized that I was falling even more in love with her, if that's even possible... Because God, I loved her _so_ much and now the feeling has grown even more! I had to tell someone, or my head would've burst."

Sachiko had the slightest blush on her cheeks when she finished her tea. Rei watched her friend with eyes full of compassion and understanding.

"Sachiko, you can't go on like this any longer. I know that, and you know that. You _know_ what you have to do."

Sachiko nodded, her eyes smouldering and her expression determined.

"I can't go on hiding my feelings anymore and I don't want to either. All I want is to stay by Yumi's side forever. Tonight, Rei, I'm going to show Yumi how I feel for her."

--

**A/N: I'm going away for the weekend, but I'll try to update next week. Don't hate me if I don't manage to do it :(**

**Only one chapter left... Well, I still have to write it though. Anyhow, this is the perfect opportunity for those who read the story but never leave a review, to leave a review now in which they can tell me what they think of this story so far. :p Reviews make me hap-py! **


	8. Chapter 8

Note 1: Oh my god, thank you **so much** for the wonderful comments! Not only for the previous chapter, but for all the chapters! It really gives me a thrill to know that people enjoy my story so much...! A thousand times **thank you**!

Note 2: Here's the final chapter... Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maria-sama ga miteru.**

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**Chapter VIII**

"How exciting… Yumi-sama is finally going to confess to Rosa Chinensis!"

It was some time before 10 o'clock in the evening. Yoshino, Shimako and Noriko were sitting on the bed in Yoshino's room, chatting away.

"Yeah… 'Finally' is really the perfect word. I'm glad that the plan worked out and that they're making some progress at last." Yoshino looked quite pleased with herself. The other girls agreed; if the situation had stayed like before, with Yumi not realizing Sachiko's feelings and her own, they would have been forced to lock the two in a small closet only so they could finally get it on.

"But I wonder when Yumi-san found out about you guys," Yoshino said with a pondering expression on her face. "Because it could have happened at so many moments… Don't tell me you haven't been kissing each other all the time, every time you were alone."

Shimako glared at a smirking Yoshino while Noriko merely shrugged her shoulders.

"My, my, Shimako-san, if the students at school saw you looking at them like that, their image of the always calm and serene Rosa Gigantea would be smashed to pieces."

Noriko giggled at Yoshino's comment, earning herself a glare from the White Rose.

"Noriko! You shouldn't laugh with her words, you'll only encourage her to be more bold." The black-haired girl grabbed her lover's hand and looked up to meet her eyes. "But Shimako… It's just that Yoshino-sama is completely right. You never glare at people, not when you're Rosa Gigantea, nor when you're just Toudou Shimako." It was indeed a rather uncharacteristic thing for her to do, and Shimako had realized it herself. She looked a bit embarrassed, with a faint red colour on her face.

"Yes, well… It's because Yoshino-san makes those comments randomly, like she can say things like that all of a sudden. Now, what would the students at school say when they saw Rosa Foetida en bouton like that, Yoshino-san?"

Yoshino only grinned some more. "They would simply say that they've seen the real Shimazu Yoshino." Noriko giggled once more before moving a bit closer to Shimako, who looked defeated and merely shook her head at Yoshino's answer.

"Don't be so upset by Yoshino-sama's words," the girl said. "I think we've learned from this trip that she really likes to tease people with her words and that she is, in fact, very good at making plans and dropping comments just so everything goes her way." Both Yoshino and Shimako nodded their head in agreement. "And besides," Noriko added in a whisper, so only Shimako could hear her, "it's not like she says things that aren't true…" At hearing those words, Shimako's face turned a nice shade of red.

At seeing her friend's cheeks colour greatly, Yoshino sighed. "Noriko-chan. Please leave your comments for when you're alone with Shimako-san… If you two start to make out while I'm here, I'd be forced to pour some cold water over your heads." She stared at the two other girls, before the three of them burst out in yet another series of giggles. At that moment, Rei entered the room.

"Ah? So you're already here, Yoshino?"

The girl nodded. "I've been back for quite a while now. I met Shimako-san and Noriko-chan at the entrance of the hotel, so we just decided to go to my room."

"I see. Then, where's Yumi-chan? Didn't she come with you?"

Yoshino exchanged looks with Shimako and Noriko, before answering.

"Yumi went to her own room right away. She said she had some things to take care off…" Yoshino had a huge smile plastered on her face, and so did Shimako and Noriko.

"Ehm… What's with those looks?" Rei looked a bit puzzled.

"Rei-chan, tonight's the night!" Yoshino cried out in all her excitement.

"Yumi-san has finally realized her feelings for Sachiko-sama," Shimako explained when she saw Rei watching her cousin with raised eyebrows. "And tonight she's planning on confessing to her."

When the words finally reached Rei's brain, the girl was wearing a grin on her face too. "How funny," she commented after a while, before snickering again.

"Rei-chan, what's so funny?" The three other girls were the ones being confused now.

"I had a conversation with Sachiko earlier. She told me not to tell anyone, but it really doesn't matter, since we all know that she's in love with Yumi-chan."

"Ah, so that's what she wanted to tell you?" Noriko asked.

Rei nodded. "And she also told me that tonight she's going to show Yumi-chan how she really feels for her…"

Yoshino's, Shimako's and Noriko's eyes widened as they realized what was going to happen tonight.

"Girls," Rei said, "this evening, a major confession party is going to take place in the room opposite of ours."

xxxxx

_Sachiko's POV_

Yumi was nervous. No, scratch that; she was almost peeing in her pants from nervousness. Any moment now, Sachiko could walk through that door. And if that happened, Yumi had to do what she had planned and confess to her. But as the girl was pacing back and forth in her room, she realized that it would be a lot harder than she had imagined at first. Yes, she was sure that Sachiko was in love with her too, but still… The very prospect of having to share her feelings with her onee-sama, made her heart beat like madness and her legs turn to jelly. All sorts of scenarios were running through her mind as she finally sat herself onto the bed, afraid that her legs would give out on her. Would she just tell Sachiko what she felt? Or would she make it clear in a more… Physical way? When that particular idea ran through her mind, Yumi was pretty sure her face looked as red as the reddest tomato on earth. If she just started kissing Sachiko like that, the chance of her being able to stop would become very slim, and the chance of her doing so much more than only kissing would become very great… How much Yumi wanted to just kiss Sachiko immediately, she decided against it. Even if you know a person is in love with you, you can't just go and kiss her if that person doesn't know your feelings… It made perfect sense to Yumi. That and the fact that she was scared like hell. It would be her very first kiss…

The brown-haired girl wasn't the only one who was nervous. Another person by the name of Ogasawara Sachiko was standing in front of the door of her hotel room, staring at the doorknob. She had been standing there for ten minutes already, unable to turn it. She had spoken with much determination when talking to Rei, but when the time had finally come, her confidence had ebbed away with the speed of lightning. She had dreamt of sharing a kiss with Yumi for many months now; tonight perhaps that dream would finally come true… Or it would be shattered into millions and millions of pieces. It was a fact that the girl loved Sachiko. The question was more how much? But today at the garden, Sachiko had noticed something different about Yumi… It was as if the spark of a flame, deep inside of her, had been waiting to be ignited… And had Sachiko not thought for a moment that she had seen something like desire in the eyes of her petite soeur…?

Taking a deep breath, the girl mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen.

_Just go inside and tell her. Go inside and live your dream, of see it being flushed down the drain. No, you can't think that way, don't think about it, just do it! Oh, but I don't think I can handle it if Yumi does not feel the same way… _

With trembling hands, Sachiko finally reached for the doorknob and turned it. She stepped inside a dim lit room; only the small lamp above the head of the bed was on. Her first thought was that her petite soeur had not returned yet, but when she heard something stirring near the bed, she realized that Yumi was sitting on it, a pillow firmly held in her hands. She seemed a bit nervous, but Sachiko could not see it very well because of the darkness that enveloped Yumi's features.

"Yumi?" she asked quietly, hoping her voice was not shaky. "Why are all the lights out, except for the one over there?" She pointed at the lamp before moving closer to the bed.

"Onee-sama…" Yumi's voice was trembling, and it did not pass unnoticed to Sachiko. She was standing next to the bed now, and she could clearly see Yumi's face. Her eyes were big and shiny, her cheeks had a nice colour on it, and her lips were full and moisty. Sachiko was pretty sure that the girl could hear her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She was incredibly turned on now, seeing those adorable brown eyes looking up to meet hers, seeing those delicious-looking lips, making her want to taste them so badly…Sachiko clenched her fists in an attempt to get rid of the burning need inside of her.

_You __have a task you must do, Sachiko. Don't ruin it now!_

She opened her mouth.

"Yumi-"

"Onee-sama-"

The two girls cast their eyes away, laughing nervously and feeling a bit embarrassed because they had started speaking at the exact same moment.

_Okay, this is merely a stay of execution…_

"Go ahead Yumi. What is it you wanted to say?"

"No, onee-sama, please, you go ahead first." Yumi was fidgeting on the bed, playing a bit with the pillow between her hands. Sachiko was convinced the girl was restless.

"Yumi. Please say what you wanted to say."

Yumi stopped turning the pillow around in her hands and placed it neatly on her lap. She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to meet Sachiko's. The older girl's heart skipped a beat. She was pretty sure she had just seen…?

"Onee-sama, there's something I want to tell you…"

Sachiko barely paid any attention to what her petite soeur was saying; she was too engrossed by the look the girl had given her just seconds ago.

_Yumi…? D-Did you just...?_

Sachiko heard Yumi's voice from somewhere far away. She forced herself to listen to what the girl had to say.

"…sorry that I have been so absentminded this morning, and yesterday evening. It's just, there is a reason for my behaviour-"

"Yumi, please stop."

It was of no use. Sachiko could not concentrate while her mind was full of something else. She sat herself onto the bed while Yumi was shocked and a bit hurt because she had been cut off so brusquely. Sachiko smiled faintly but she did not apologize, nor did she give any indication that she wanted to say something herself. She merely stared into Yumi's big, chocolate-brown eyes. She needed to know something, and even though her petite soeur was trying to tell her something, it could wait. At the moment, this was much more important…

Yumi began to blush furiously under Sachiko's burning gaze. Her eyes were like endless pools of the bluest water, and they were looking into Yumi's as if they were trying to search for the deepest secrets in her soul. But it was impossible for her to look away... She was being hypnotized by the beauty of those endless pools, and by the beauty of her onee-sama… Falling deeper and deeper, the girl did not even realize that her heart had started beating much faster, and that she was moving a bit closer to Sachiko…

Sachiko's eyes widened as she kept staring at the younger girl. She saw the look she had seen just moments ago; it was a look of lust and desire, but it was so much more than that. It was also a look of pure, undying love. Sachiko did not think anymore; she had done it enough for the past few months, and she didn't want to continue doing it either. She simply whispered "I love you, Yumi" before moving her head closer, making her lips touch Yumi's. This resulted into an explosion of passion: Sachiko poured all of her love and hunger into that one kiss, while Yumi was doing the same thing. Their mouths had opened merely seconds after their lips had touched, meaning that their tongues were swirling in each other's mouths now, exploring everything, _tasting_ everything… The need of wanting more, _so_ much more, was becoming unbearable for Sachiko. Yumi too, was having great difficulties in keeping herself from exploring every inch of Sachiko's body with her lips. Both of them were so aroused, it was a miracle that they hadn't ripped each other's clothes off yet. The dance of their tongues, which made both girls emit lots of approving sounds, lasted until the lack of fresh air forced them to pull away.

"O-Onee-sama…" Yumi panted heavily. Her face was completely red but she was smiling broadly. Who wouldn't be? She had just been french-kissed by the love of her life!

"Oh my, Yumi," Sachiko said, also gasping for air. She had not expected her petite soeur to be such a great kisser.

_I had no idea you were so… Wow!_

Sachiko had a huge grin on her face too; she cupped Yumi's cheeks and took her hand. "You're so incredible pretty, did you know that?" She sighed contently, rubbing Yumi's fingers and still cupping her cheeks. Yumi's face reddened even more at hearing the compliment; the most beautiful girl on earth thought she was pretty? She must be in heaven.

"Onee-sama?"

"Yes, love?" Sachiko moved a bit closer to the girl.

"How… When did you find out about my feelings for you?" Yumi asked curiously. Sachiko let out a soft chuckle.

_How could I have not seen when you had that look in your eyes? __I'm just surprised you didn't jump me already… Not that I would've mind..._

"Oh my dear Yumi, your face said more than enough. Have you still not found out that you're like an open book to me?" Sachiko laughed when Yumi made one of her funny faces.

"Stop laughing, onee-sama," she sulked while poking Sachiko teasingly. Then she rested her head on the girl's shoulder.

"But I'm glad that you can read my expressions so well," Yumi murmured. "It saved me from a lot of trouble…"

"Oh? Had you planned on confessing tonight as well, Yumi?" Sachiko was amused by the turn of events. She didn't mind that it had turned out this way, why would she be? She had just shared a very wanted kiss with the girl she loved. Yumi lifted her head so it was only millimetres away from Sachiko's. Grinning, she uttered a bit shyly "I love you" to Sachiko, before stealing a kiss from her, and another one, and another one… Soon, the two girls were at it again, kissing and moaning and even licking… And they were not planning to stop just there. This night would be the most blissful night of their lives.

xxxxx

_Yoshino's POV_

"Yumi-san, you look happy."

Yoshino was sitting next to her friend on the bus. They were almost back in Tokyo; because their train had somehow broken down before it had reached the final station, the girls had been forced to take the bus for the last kilometres. It was pretty crowded in the vehicle; Yoshino and Yumi were sitting in the back of the bus, while the rest was sitting in front.

"Yes, we've told you what happened already, Yoshino-san. We've told everybody already. So I know that I look happy, you don't have to tell me all the time." But Yumi was not irritated whatsoever; she was too happy to even feel a little bit of irritation. She had also been wearing a rather sexy smirk all day long, of course without her being aware of it herself.

_I'm pretty sure you haven't told me everything, Yumi. To be honest, I don't want to know all of the details. But I guess your little smirk says enough. Wild night, huh?_

"Yes, I know, but it makes me so happy to see _you_ so happy! God, we're all super-happy!" Yoshino said while making a little dance with her arms. Yumi laughed; Yoshino was so funny when she was excited.

"But I still don't understand why you didn't tell me about you and Rei-sama immediately," Yumi said after she had controlled her laughter. "You told Shimako-san and Noriko-chan right away, didn't you?"

Yoshino grinned. "I had my reasons for it, Yumi-san. But now you know, isn't that what matters?"

_Really, I don't think it would have been favourable for my plan if you had known, Yumi. You might have paid more attention to us than necessary, and that's not a good thing if I'm plotting secret plans behind your back._

"Hmmm." Yumi glanced at Yoshino, who was now busy drinking orange juice. "You know, I've been thinking about this trip…" she slowly said, trying to formulate her words properly, "and about certain things that have happened during this trip… And I've also given some thought about your behaviour," Yumi concluded. Yoshino's eyes grew big as she choked in her juice; Yumi patted her on the back helpfully and took the empty can from her hands.

"Yoshino-san, if you react on my words like that, you'll only give yourself away some more."

"Eh, what are you talking about, Yumi-san?" Yoshino asked, hoping that she was sounding as if she genuinely didn't know what the girl was talking about.

"Hmmm, no good. You have to sound more convincing if you want to fool me." Yumi grinned, and Yoshino was dumbstruck about it.

_Hold on. What happened to that really dense girl from before? The Yumi who noticed nothing if it concerned Sachiko-sama and herself? Who would have never noticed my plan? Oh my god, can a night of sex really change one's personality so fast??_

"Okay, Yumi-san. What are your conclusions then?" Yoshino tried to look at Yumi as if she was unaffected by all of this, but failed miserably.

_Damn it! I've lost my touch…_

"Well, counting everything up, from what you've said and what you've done, like leading me to the hot springs… I'd say that it had been your plan all along to get Sachiko-sama and me together."

_Wow. I must admit, Yumi, you're really good. Kudos to you._

Yoshino began to laugh out loud. "Okay Yumi-san, you've got me! Oh my, and here I was, thinking you'd never find out! Maybe I underestimated you, Yumi-san… Or maybe I've just been too careless with my words… Anyway, are you mad? Are you going to tell Sachiko-sama?"

Yumi was smiling too; so she had been right! This morning, while lying in bed next to an exhausted (but completely satisfied) Sachiko, she had thought about Yoshino's somewhat weird behaviour, like the fact that the girl knew exactly what Yumi was thinking, and the fact that she knew exactly what to say…

"No, I'm not mad, Yoshino-san, and I won't tell Sachiko-sama either. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be so happy about it. No, I'm just curious of how much you knew of Sachiko-sama's and my feelings."

An evil grin crossed Yoshino's face. "Ah well, I guess I knew enough to work out a plan, didn't I? All I needed to do was to give you a little push in Sachiko-sama's direction… Isn't that what friends normally do? Help each other when it's needed?"

Yumi was silent before nodding her head in agreement, smiling happily. "Yes, thank you, Yoshino-san. I guess you've got a point. After all, it's just friendship, right?"

**The End**

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**A/N: Never thought I'd enjoy writing this fanfic so much... Well, big part of it is of course thanks to the reviewers, who really kept me motivated. Arigato!  
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**Thank you for reading the story and sticking with it to the end! **


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